


Caserella

by lokithegodofsass



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cinderella Fusion, Cinderella Elements, M/M, Prince Dean, Servant Castiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 13:26:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3611697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lokithegodofsass/pseuds/lokithegodofsass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You killed it," he whispered, staring at the blood spilling from the wound in horror. He heard the stallion's footsteps over fallen leaves and the man's rumbling chuckle. "Why would you do that?"</p><p>"It's called saving your life," he answered and Castiel's eyes flew up to meet the brilliant green eyes of the beaming stranger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Stranger In The Woods

"CASTIEL!" His stepmother Naomi's voice, which was surprisingly shrill despite her slim stature, rang through the house. Castiel had earlier curled up on the freshly scrubbed wooden floor, an old tan carpet being his only source of warmth on the autumn day, and woke up with a start.

No. Nonononono. The smell of cedar had lulled him to sleep before he gathered raspberries for his stepsisters' pie. The window to the room he was currently staying in was open and an idea, a terrible idea, sprang into his head.

"Where are you?" Meg, the smug older twin of his stepsisters as she loved reminding anyone that would listen, called.

"I need to have my shirt washed!" Ruby, the younger twin, stomped her foot loud enough so that, even in a different room, Castiel could feel the house quake.

The berry bush wasn't that far away. He could spin a thrilling tale about how he was out in the forest and had been too far away to hear the calling. Sure, he was likely to end up with some new bruises coloring his stomach but it wouldn't be as bad as if he told the truth.

Napping, after all, was only for the privileged.

Castiel knew the house better than anyone, since he had lived there all of his life, so he was able to easily avoid the creaky floorboards that led to the window. Once he hopped down, it was easy to find the nearest horse, a gorgeous dapple gray pony, and mount her bareback before grabbing a bucket and galloping into the woods.

The freedom that came from riding was unmatchable. The crisp, cool wind roared in Castiel's ears and stung his cheeks. He felt like he was flying as he squeezed the horse's sides and urged her to go faster. He leaned forward and grabbed fistfuls of her long, thick mane as she soared over a fallen log. He had been so lost in the moment that he was nearly knocked off balance as she reared up on her hind legs. Castiel looked to see what was distressing her and yelped in horror as he came face to face with a snarling mountain lion.

"Run!" he commanded the horse, even though he was pretty sure that she couldn't understand English, and jarred her with his heels. The mare galloped further into the forest, no longer concerned about the man on her back. The mountain lion leaped off of the rock it was standing on before bounding after the frightened pair. Castiel was sure that this would be the tragic end for both the mare and him. "I'm so sorry I led you here," he mumbled to the horse before a shrill whistle caused him to whip his head around.

"Hey, cougar!" a deep, husky voice called from behind the trees. A pure black stallion whose glowing fur seemed to reflect the sunlight like a mirror reluctantly galloped towards the mountain lion. Castiel was so taken by the steed that he hadn't noticed his rider draw an arrow and fire it right into the beast's chest. The mountain lion fell to the ground with a weak thump and Castiel felt tears threaten to spill from his eyes.

"You killed it," he whispered, staring at the blood spilling from the wound in horror. He heard the stallion's footsteps over fallen leaves and the man's rumbling chuckle. "Why would you do that?"

"It's called saving your life," he answered and Castiel's eyes flew up to meet the brilliant green eyes of the beaming stranger.

And if it wasn't the most handsome stranger that he had ever seen, with styled blond hair and sun-kissed skin and freckles dusting cheekbones that could cut glass. Castiel didn't think that heart shaped lips existed outside of romance novels, but he was proven wrong.

"I apologize," Castiel prayed that he wasn't still on the verge of tears and buried his fingers into the mare's thick, soft fur. The man watched his hand with his beautiful lips parted and Castiel felt his cheeks heat up. "What's your name?"

"My name?" the man repeated with a melodious laugh that nearly had Castiel sliding off his horse. "You can call me Dean. What's yours?"

"That isn't important," Castiel was careful not to bring his mare too close to the fallen mountain lion and walked her towards the nearest raspberry bush.

"Not important?" Dean's eyebrows furrowed in a positively adorable way. "Okay, what are you doing out here all by yourself?"

"I'm picking berries," Castiel looked down at the bucket that wasn't even a quarter full. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I'm not by myself," Dean answered before reaching out and grabbing a handful of berries. "But I could help you if you'd like."

"That would be wonderful," Castiel answered with a wide smile. Dean dropped the berries into the bucket and trotted off. "Dean? Where are you going?" Dean ignored him and stopped his stallion in front of a rose bush. He reached a gloved hand towards a flower and snapped its stem before holding it up to his nose. Castiel watched as his chest swelled up with air and darted his eyes away quickly before he noticed.

"You like roses?" he asked, turning back towards Castiel with a newfound glint shining in his emerald eyes. Castiel wasn't sure why he was having trouble speaking, so he nodded his head quickly to make up for it. Dean's heels squeezed his horse's sides and he walked until his knee was pressed against Castiel's. Castiel could feel the heat radiating off of his skin as Dean held the flower in front of him. "Take this."

"Thank you," Castiel whispered in wonder as his fingers closed around the stem. "Ouch!"

"Careful," Dean whispered with a short laugh before gently taking Castiel's hand and opening his fingers. "Looks like you got pricked."

"Y-yeah," Castiel's eyes were glued onto Dean's beautiful lower lip, which was currently being worried by his teeth.

"Your Hi-"

"Dean!" Dean dropped Castiel's hand so quickly that the rose fell onto the ground. He gave the stranger, an older man who looked rather exhausted, a look and trotted towards him before mumbling something that Castiel couldn't quite make out.

"Your Dean then," the new man mumbled under his breath. "I have gotten word from the King that we are to return to the castle at once."

"You know the king?" Castiel piped before walking his mare forward. The new man shot a threatening gaze at the pair, but Dean just smiled sheepishly.

"Of course he knows the king he-"

"Lives in the castle," Dean finished the other man's sentence. "It's a long story. Come on, Bobby, we can't keep him waiting. You should return home before the sun sets."

"Thank you," Castiel called as the two shining horses galloped off. "For everything!" Castiel wasn't sure if the pair heard him but he quickly finished picking the berries and trotted off, leaving the rose crumpled into the dirt.


	2. The News of the Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The king has fallen ill and an old decree, Number 271 to be exact, states that a prince or princess must choose a spouse before taking the throne. All of the kingdom is invited for a fair chance to woo the young prince.

"Castiel!" Naomi snapped when he pushed the creaking front door open with the filled bucket in his hand. "Where have you been? And why are you smiling like that?"

"I'm not smiling," Castiel mumbled, quickly making an effort to straighten his face. "And I was out picking berries."

"I asked you to pick berries before I left this morning," Naomi responded coldly as she let down her fiery red hair and styled it in the nearest mirror. "What the hell took you so long? My daughters have been waiting for ages for their pie. You're absolutely useless."

"I'm really sorry," Castiel set the bucket on the table, his hands trembling as he squeezed the raspberries in his palms. "I was chased by a mountain lion and then a nice man that lives in the castle saved me."

"You were chased by a mountain lion?" Meg repeated with a laugh as she and Ruby bound out from their rooms.

"That's a dumb story," Ruby giggled tauntingly. "I think he was just lazy."

"You'll be sorry when I become queen," Meg sang before folding her arms to her chest.

"And what makes you think that you'll become queen?" Ruby questioned. Castiel continued to squish the raspberries in his hands, far too used to his sisters's shenanigans to take their bickering seriously.

"Because I'm the oldest, dummy."

"Oldest? The prince would want the older, more washed up one?"

"You mean more experienced?"

"Girls," Naomi snapped, her glare hardening at their reflection in her mirror. "Stop acting like children or the prince won't choose either of you!"

"What are you talking about?" Castiel's curiosity had peaked at Naomi's harsh tone, as she was less likely to get involved than he was. "Why would the prince be choosing someone?"

"The palace is having a ball!" the two girls screeched, holding each other's arms and leaping up in the air like gazelles with a broken leg.

"A ball?" Castiel grinned, almost tempted to join their ridiculous celebration.

"It's really none of your business," Naomi's lips pressed together in a thin line, "but the king has fallen ill and an old decree, Number 271 to be exact, states that a prince or princess must choose a spouse before taking the throne. All of the kingdom is invited for a fair chance to woo the young prince."

"That is really exciting," Castiel beamed, causing the twins to exchange looks.

"Why are you excited about it?" Ruby asked slowly.

"Wait, hold on," Meg giggled before whispering something into Ruby's ear, causing her face to light up in glee.

"Do you think you have a chance with the prince?" Ruby asked in shock. Castiel blushed and shook his head.

"The man in the forest, the one I told you about earlier, lives in the castle," Castiel smiled dreamily as green eyes flashed in his memory. "He saved my life."

"Probably a nasty servant, if he paid any attention to you," Naomi scoffed.

"Yeah, probably," Castiel sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "He was really rather handsome."

"Hold on, what makes you think we care?" Ruby asked, her eyebrows lifting to her hairline.

"I don't, it's just-"

"Shut up," Meg snapped. "You need to mend my pink dress before the ball."

"That's my pink dress," Ruby whined. "Meg is gonna stretch it all out!"

"You can wear the purple one," Naomi sighed as Castiel began to spread the smashed raspberries onto his already made pie crust.

"That's not fair," Meg rested her hands on her waist. "I wanted the purple one."

"You can wear my rubies," Naomi gave Meg a smile that made the hairs on the back of Castiel's neck stand up.

"Ha," Meg smirked victoriously.

"Mother!" Ruby stamped her foot. "My name is Ruby, shouldn't I get them?"

"You can wear my emeralds then," Naomi rubbed her temples in distress.

"They'll match his eyes," Ruby grinned, and Castiel couldn't help but think about how the even brightest of emeralds couldn't be a match for Dean's.

"Girls!" Naomi yelled, causing Castiel to drop the spatula he was holding onto the ground. Meg and Ruby both froze and Castiel slowly put the pie in the oven. "Castiel, go upstairs."

"Did I do something wrong?" Castiel asked softly, tilting his head slightly.

"Now!" Naomi screamed and Castiel quickly darted upstairs into the attic where he resided.

"It's okay," he whispered to himself as he sat against the door. A mouse scurried across the floor and he watched it with a faint smile. Animals were truly much nicer than people. "She just needs to talk to my stepsisters. She's not gonna hurt me." He wished Dean was there with his bow and arrow and his precise aim to protect him.

He had to find something to wear.


	3. The List of Chores

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I want the floors waxed," Naomi's voice deepened and Castiel scrambled to his feet. "All of our laundry needs to be done, which means that you'll need to get quite a few buckets from your beloved forest. Meg made quite a mess of her room while looking for her headband and we want it to be spotless. The leaves must be raked from the yard. The furniture needs to be polished and we're going to need a nice meal after our long night of dancing. Understand?"

"Castiel!" Meg called. Castiel straightened the tattered suit that he had found in the small pile that had remained of his dad's clothes. He was currently fumbling with a navy blue tie, which was only made harder by his hands shaking in excitement. "Where's my flower headband?"

"In your room where it always is!" Castiel called as he tied a knot. He was pretty sure that the tie was on wrong, but he didn't really care.

"Castiel!" Ruby yelled, barely two seconds later. "I need to have my sleeve hemmed."

"Coming!" Castiel pulled on his least scuffed shoes and sprinted downstairs, only to find his stepsisters waiting at the foot.

Both of his stepsisters were rather pretty girls, but if he had tried to explain that fact to anyone that night they would've laughed in his face. Their faces were caked in make up so that they were shades lighter than their neck and their dark hair was curled into tight, frizzy ringlets. Castiel didn't dislike the colors pink or purple but both of them were wearing the worst shades that existed in the wide spectrum of colors that they could have chosen from.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Ruby asked, covering her delighted smile with her hand.

"It's my father's old suit," Castiel explained, losing confidence with every second under their scrutinizing gazes.

"That is the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life," Meg didn't bother trying to hide her smile.

"Wait," Ruby lowered her hand and touched the material. "Do you think you're actually going to the ball?"

"Mother!" Meg shouted with glee. "Castiel thinks he's going to the ball!" Castiel backed up the stairs as Naomi appeared from a corner. He didn't notice the trick step and fell, sliding down to Meg and Ruby's delight.

"You're not going anywhere, Castiel," Naomi stood over him. "The house is a mess and I want it to be clean by the time we come back tomorrow."

"I just cleaned it," Castiel said quickly.

"I want the floors waxed," Naomi's voice deepened and Castiel scrambled to his feet. "All of our laundry needs to be done, which means that you'll need to get quite a few buckets from your beloved forest. Meg made quite a mess of her room while looking for her headband and we want it to be spotless. The leaves must be raked from the yard. The furniture needs to be polished and we're going to need a nice meal after our long night of dancing. Understand?"

"That could take all night," Castiel whispered, his lower lip trembling.

"Do you understand?!" Naomi yelled shrilly. Castiel nodded his head quickly.

"Y-yes, Stepmother," he said softly. He could see Meg and Ruby exchange an excited look behind Naomi's back, their shoulders almost shaking with suppressed laughter. "Who, um, who needed to have their sleeve mended again?" Ruby stepped forward and Castiel quickly hemmed the sleeve, trying to pass his sniffles as clearing his throat.

"I'll make sure I say hi to any servants for you," Ruby said softly, giving Castiel a genuine smile. Castiel was so overcome with gratitude at the shocking gesture that he could've hugged her, but her lips quickly upturned in a smirk. "And then pull them into the nearest closet and-"

"Okay, you're done," Castiel interrupted. He really should've known. "I hope you have fun at the ball. I really do."

"Girls!" Naomi clapped her spidery hands and Meg and Ruby turned their attention to her. "We must leave now. Our carriage is outside." Meg and Ruby nodded and hurried to the door, their spiked heels clanking clumsily and scratching the floor. Naomi turned back and gave Castiel the serpentine smile that he learned long ago only meant trouble. "Don't forget, Castiel. Spotless."


	4. The Fairy God...mother?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The man simply smiled serenely and stepped closer to him.
> 
> "Because, Castiel, I am your fairy godmother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update... I don't have my own computer and my phone hates the updating process so I had to work with my mother's schedule for this
> 
> Also, if for some reason this winds up on Ebooks trees and people actually buy it, I want my 15%

As a general rule, Castiel didn't cry in front of others. His stepfamily would never let him forget it if he shed a tear in their presence. But he was alone now and tears slipped down his cheeks more often than he would care to admit as he raked the fallen leaves into a large pile. But finishing the monstrous list of chores that Naomi gave him before morning was possible if he worked fast.

And if the weather chose to cooperate, he thought to himself as a gust of wind swept through his pile and scattered them all across the yard.

"No!" Castiel shouted as he held up his rake and tried to corral the ones that he wasn't too late to save. But it was hopeless. His lower lip quivered in horror as he watched all of his hard work tauntingly dance in the wind. And then he couldn't hold it in anymore. Soon, his chest was heaving with sobs and his anguished yells were piercing the sky. It struck Castiel that this wasn't fair, what powerful being did he anger to deserve this? Usually, he was able to deal with the horrible things his stepfamily did, but this was just too much for him. It was almost like an out of body experience, like he was wondering when someone else was going to calm down. His grief was so great that even the crickets ceased their chirping to listen.

"Excuse me?" a weak voice sounded from behind him and Castiel spun quickly. Eyes the color of the sky on a cloudy day met his under a hood. "But would you be able to get me some soup? I've been wandering through the forest for days and I'm rather hungry."

"O-oh," Castiel wiped his eyes quickly. "Of course. I'll be right back, don't go anywhere." He rushed back to the kitchen and heated up one of the buckets of water he had collected earlier for laundry, using the steam to warm up his numb hands. Once he finished cooking the soup, he poured it into a bowl and brought it back to the hooded stranger.

"Thank you," the man pulled back his hood, revealing chestnut colored wavy hair and a kind smile, and downed it in one gulp.

"Careful, it's hot!" Castiel warned him, but the man didn't seem to notice.

"You are rather kind," the man smiled up at him. "Considering you were sobbing your eyes out when we first met. Tell me, what's the matter?"

"It's nothing," Castiel sighed before sitting down on a fallen tree branch. The man took the spot next to him and watched him with concerned eyes. "I could only imagine that you've been through so much worse."

"Than an evil stepmother that won't let me go to a ball?" the man frowned and touched Castiel's arm.

"H-how did you know that?" Castiel hopped to his feet. The man simply smiled serenely and stepped closer to him.

"Because, Castiel, I am your fairy godmother."

"Fairy godmother?" Castiel repeated slowly. "That's impossible."

"It's because I'm a man, isn't it?" the fairy godmother raised his eyebrows. "Yes, the job title is rather discriminatory, but an occupation in the mythical icon field is so hard to come by these days. There was a position open in the genie field, which was a bit of a toss up, but fairy godmothers have much better living accommodations. My friends have told me that I'm insane, but I'd prefer to think that I'm breaking the typical gender roles. Or something like that. But, if it makes you feel more comfortable, you may call me Chuck."

"You're mad," Castiel laughed softly.

"You're absolutely right," Chuck threw what could only be presumed to be his wand into the air and Castiel watched in awe as it lit up the skies with bright white beams. "But, nevertheless, I am here to help you. We need to get you a carriage."

"A carriage?" Castiel chuckled. "We don't have any carriages."

"But do you have a garden?" Chuck asked as he sprinted forward to catch his wand. "Cantaloupe? Or perhaps some squash, squash would make a lovely carriage."

"What on earth are you going on about?" Castiel laughed.

"I need a round fruit to- oh get BACK here!" Chuck dived forward and barely managed to catch his wand before standing up and dusting off his cloak.

"We have pumpkins," Castiel said slowly. "Would that be okay?"

"Fitting, it's nearly Halloween," Chuck laughed breathlessly. "Show me the pumpkins!"

"Why do I need a carriage anyway?" Castiel asked softly as he opened the greenhouse and handed Chuck the roundest pumpkin.

"You can't walk to the ball if you want to wow your mystery man, silly," Chuck grinned.

"Oh, I'm not going to the ball," Castiel frowned as he scoffed his shoes in the dirt. "Stepmother gave me a whole list of chores that I must complete by morning." Chuck's face split into a Cheshire Cat-esque grin before he flicked his wand.

"All done," Chuck knocked on the pumpkin. "A pumpkin carriage. This will be interesting."

"Can you do it?" Castiel asked quickly, which pulled a faint laugh from Chuck.

"Of course I can," he tapped the pumpkin with his wand. "You may want to stand back." Castiel backed up against the wall as the pumpkin swelled. A horrible thought occurred to Castiel and he looked at the fairy godmother questionably.

"Um, Chuck?" Castiel asked. "How big is this carriage going to be?"

"It'll be-" Chuck's face fell as he realized what Castiel was inquiring. "Uh oh. Run!" Castiel blindly searched for the door, but the pumpkin was growing much too rapidly. Soon, it was pressing them both into the walls of the greenhouse.

CRASH!

Both Castiel and Chuck were thrown back as the pumpkin broke through the glass. Castiel wiped the dirt off his brow and stared ahead in awe. A gorgeous orange carriage, complete with a set of wooden wheels, stood in front of them.

"Stepmother is gonna kill me," Castiel hopped to his feet and picked up a section of pumpkin. "The pumpkins are ruined!"

"Relax, that's what I'm here for," Chuck waved his wand. Castiel wasn't sure if he should trust Chuck's abilities, as he had already messed up royally. He held his breath as the glass flew towards the air, narrowly missing his ears and nose on more than one occasion, and formed together. "See? That went smoothly, didn't it?"

"You seem surprised," Castiel mumbled as he stepped closer to the repaired greenhouse. He pulled open the door slowly and felt relief course through him as he counted the pumpkins.

"We need horses," Chuck crouched down and picked up two white mice by their tails. Angry squeaks filled the air and Castiel had to put his hand over his mouth to block giggles from passing his lips. Chuck tapped the mice with his wand and dropped them to the floor. Castiel gasped in shock as their ears formed points and they quickly sprouted into beautiful white horses.

"Wow," Castiel whispered in awe. "That was amazing." Chuck's entire face lit up at the compliment, but his attention was quickly deterred.

"We need a driver," he said softly before scooping up a lizard and working some of his magic on it. And, even though Castiel knew what would happen, he still couldn't help but watch as the lizard rose to two feet and grew human features. "Anything else? Oh, right. I cannot let you go to the grand ball in those rags. Come closer." Castiel bit his lower lip gently as he dusted off the front of his suit.

"This was my father's best suit," Castiel whispered.

"Oh," Chuck mumbled. "A keepsake. How about if I just... refurbish it?"

"Refurbish?" Castiel tilted his head slightly before he felt Chuck's fingers wrap around his wrist. "I don't know if-" He was interrupted with a tap on the shoulder from Chuck's wand. Dust quickly fluttered away and old stains vanished.

"Looking sharp," Chuck smiled as he handed Castiel a mirror. Castiel could hardly recognize himself; his hair that normally could never lay flat was styled, his skin practically glowed, and there was a newfound sparkle in his eyes. But he was more impressed with the suit, which had turned into a brilliant black velvet. The navy tie lied flat and the old wine stain that Castiel had spent fruitless hours trying to scrub out had disappeared.

"Wow," Castiel whispered as he flattened out the fabric.

"Oh, one more thing," Chuck sprinted to the carriage and pulled something out of the door. "Your shoes." Castiel stepped closer and the sight that greeted him was laughable.

"Chuck?" Castiel asked slowly. "They're, um, they're made out of glass."

"And they're surprisingly comfortable," Chuck set them on the floor gently. "Like bedroom slippers. Try them on." Castiel slipped his foot in gingerly.

"Isn't this hazardous?" Castiel asked as he cautiously put weight on the she. "I mean, what if they were to break?"

"They're magical," Chuck chuckled as Castiel put the second one on and mused to himself that they were actually pretty comfortable for glass footwear. "They cannot break. They also are molded to your feet, so they will only fit you. Kind of silly, but it makes them more comfortable."

"Alright," Castiel smiled gently. He noticed that the lizard/man driver was staring at him with disturbingly wide eyes. "This is amazing, thank you so much."

"Just doing my job," Chuck patted Castiel's back softly. "Go on now." Castiel grinned and stepped into the carriage. The driver cracked his whip and the horses trotted forward, leaving the house behind. 

Castiel could hardly believe it. He was going to the palace. And he was going to see Dean one more time. Perhaps now he could explain why he had been so cagey about his identity. 

"Wait! Castiel, wait!"

"What?" Castiel stuck his head out and watched as Chuck sprinted towards the carriage.

"Midnight!" Chuck was nearly out of breath by the time he caught up to the carriage door. "Magic will fade at midnight. You have to be back before everything reverts to its original form."

"Midnight," Castiel repeated. That was plenty of time.


	5. Dancing and Daffodils

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Who is that?"
> 
> "How'd he get a dance? I've been waiting for hours."
> 
> "He must be another prince. I knew this ball was rigged."
> 
> "Ouch!"
> 
> Wait. That one didn't fit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry. I could tell you that I've been busy because I had to finish high school and start college and I was in a play in between, but that wouldn't be fair to you. The truth is, I had a very terrible thing happen to me called writer's block.

It seemed like ages before the carriage pulled in front of the palace. Or maybe it just felt like that, since the horses were extremely clumsy and the driver tended to get momentarily distracted by a fly that was trapped in the carriage. Castiel began to wonder if midnight would actually be enough time. 

The palace was, to put it simply, spectacular. Fountains arched over the entrance and every single cobblestone and brick was scrubbed to perfection. A small voice in the back of Castiel's head hoped that Naomi didn't get any ideas of how the house should be kept. Castiel felt his stomach flip with excitement as the lizard driver helped him out of the carriage. It took all of the self control in the world to calmly walk into the shimmering palace gates.

The ballroom was beautifully furnished, but Castiel's heart was too aflutter to pay it the proper attention he deserved. He had to find Dean.

Now, where would a servant hang out during the prince's royal ball? Castiel scanned each ajar door for some clue before spotting the man that had been accompanying Dean in the forest, Bobby, conversing with a man in a chair.

"Excuse me!" Castiel called before rushing up to him. Bobby looked rather surprised and it took Castiel a moment before he noticed the crown on the sitting man's head and bowed hastily. "Oh my. I'm really sorry, Your Majesty."

"You're looking for th- Dean, aren't you?" Bobby asked with a ghost of a smile. "You're not going to find him here, boy." 

"No," King John's tired brown eyes looked at Castiel carefully. "He's in the ballroom. Tell me, what do you want with my son?" 

"Your son?" Castiel repeated. And suddenly it all made sense. Why didn't he see it before? The perfect aim and the air of importance would never fit with Castiel's earlier idea of a servant. "I'm- I apologize for bothering you."

"It's quite alright, son," the king's eyes darted towards the staircase. "You're welcome to speak with him."

"I'm alright, thank you," Castiel bowed his head, both out of respect and to hide the tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. He noticed Bobby exchange a long look with the king and he took that as his cue to leave.

He couldn't believe how much time he spent fantasizing about running away from his stepfamily with Dean by his side. Two repressed servants finding freedom in each other was incredibly romantic. A servant and a prince just didn't happen in real life.

A portrait hanging on the wall interrupted his train of thought. It was of Dean on a beautiful rearing gray horse, with his jaw set in determination and a long sword in his hand. It was beautiful. Castiel's hand was reaching out to touch it before his brain was able to process consequences.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a familiar voice almost made Castiel jump out of his skin. Castiel quickly spun around and was met by sparkling green eyes and a friendly smile. Dean looked absolutely gorgeous, in a tie colored exactly the same color as his eyes and a fitted suit that highlighted his muscles in an incredibly flattering way. "The oils on your fingers'll mess up the paint."

"My apologies, Your Highness," Castiel bowed his head low, his cheeks flooding with color. "I wasn't thinking."

"Cut it out," Dean's voice has hardened and Castiel's mouth snapped shut. "I don't like the portrait all that much. It was a nightmare to sit there on a tilted barrel for three hours in full armor with my arm raised like that. The sword's heavier than it looks, y'know." Castiel stayed silent and he felt gentle, gloved fingers lift up his chin gently. "Would you like to dance?"

"Actually, I think I should go," Castiel mumbled. Dean worried his lower lip in between his teeth and Castiel hesitantly pushed it free with his thumb.

"Please?" Dean asked softly. Castiel wondered if he was just a fantastic actor, because no one could hold that much sadness in their eyes. Especially not a prince. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you who I was, okay? But that doesn't change anything. I'm not asking for this as the prince, but as a man who thinks you have incredibly nice eyes." Castiel felt a grin spread across his face before he could fight it and linked his arm with Dean. 

"I have to confess, I've never actually danced with another person," he said softly

"Another person?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what have you been dancing with? Ghosts?"

"My broom, actually," Castiel whispered. Dean laughed and led him down the remaining stairs. He could feel every pair of eyes in the room dart towards him as they stepped off the final step. "Dean, they're all looking."

"How could they not?" Dean led him towards the dance floor and rested a hand on his waist. "Have you seen yourself?" Castiel couldn't come up with words to answer because it felt like heat was radiating off of Dean's skin in all the places it made contact with Castiel.

"Have you seen yourself?" Castiel echoed with a smile. He tried to tune out the whispers that began to fill the room.

"Who is that?"

"How'd he get a dance? I've been waiting for hours."

"He must be another prince. I knew this ball was rigged."

"Ouch!"

Wait. That one didn't fit. Castiel's eyebrows furrowed in confusion until he felt a gentle hand guide him back. Castiel's glance fell to Dean's feet, which he had previously trodden on.

"I'm sorry," Castiel whispered back. "I suppose I'm not the best dancer."

"No," Dean dipped him back. Castiel squeaked in shock and grabbed onto the back of Dean's neck. "You're doing fine."

"My turn!" Meg grabbed Dean's arm and tugged him away, causing Castiel to tumble to the floor. Dean glanced back at him apologetically as Meg pressed against him and raked her fingers down his back. Castiel glared at the pair of them and stood up, his tailbone protesting as he dusted off his pants. Dean twirled Meg and shook her away like she was a bothersome fly before taking Castiel's hand and running off.

"Where are we going?" Castiel hissed as he noticed Ruby talking to another boy dressed almost as extravagantly as Dean.

"Away from here," Dean pulled open a door and took Castiel outside. Dean slammed the door shut and leaned against it, breathing heavily. "I know they're my future subjects, but they're so grabby."

"That was a lot of fun," Castiel grinned. "Until you dropped me on the floor. What was that?"

"I was dragged away, remember?" Dean stood up straight. "Wanna see something cool?"

"I would love to," Castiel answered as he felt Dean's fingers close around his hand. Dean took off in a sprint and he dragged Castiel, who wasn't nearly as fast as he was, along with him.

“Do you remember when we first met?” Dean asked after stopping at a closed door. Castiel nodded with a faint blush, since he was too embarrassed to admit that the run knocked the wind out of him.

“I- That was, um, that was yesterday,” Castiel replied softly. Dean laughed softly and pulled the door open. Castiel felt his eyes widen in shock as he stepped in.

“I’m technically not allowed back here,” Dean started as he brushed his thumb against a vine. “Especially not tonight, my father would kill me if he knew I was taking the risk of ruining this precious suit.”

“It’s a gorgeous suit,” Castiel blurted before his cheeks heated up. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, I didn’t mean to-“

“Don’t call me that,” Dean picked a daffodil and held it up against his nose. “’Your Highness’ is my father.”

“Right,” Castiel said softly. He was so distracted with trying to count Dean’s eyelashes that he didn’t realize that his face was inches away from the prince’s until Dean opened his eyes in surprise. “You have the most magnificent eyes. They’re like emeralds.”

“Yours are like the ocean on a summer day,” Dean’s eyes darted down to Castiel’s lips and Castiel felt his cheeks flame up.

“Thank you, I think,” Castiel answered in a whisper. “I’ve never been to the ocean in the summer. As a matter of fact, I’ve never been to the ocean at any point in the year. But I’ve always wanted to go.”

“I can take you sometime,” Dean whispered before pressing his lips against Castiel’s. The kiss was the type that only existed in fairytales; languid and Castiel’s heart was ready to melt when he heard distant bells.

“Dean,” Castiel whispered breathlessly as he forced himself to pull away from Dean. “What time is it?”

“I would guess, uh,” Dean paused to count the bells. Castiel tried to ignore how kissable he looked and how his lips seemed to shine in the moonlight. “Yes. It’s 11:45.”

“11:45?” Castiel repeated with a squeak. “I- I am so sorry, but I have to go now.”

“Now?” Dean asked. “I don’t even know your name.”

“I’m so sorry,” Castiel started to run towards the door until he felt fingers close around his wrist.

“At least give me one more kiss before you go.” Dean’s voice was filled with pain and Castiel almost teared up at the sound of it.

“I cannot do that or I could never leave,” Castiel whispered as he freed his wrist from Dean’s grasp. Dean looked down at the daffodil in his hand before handing it to Castiel.

“Take this, then,” Dean whispered back urgently. “Something to remember me by.”

“Oh, Dean,” Castiel took the daffodil and sniffed it with a tearful smile. “I could never forget you.”

“Please don’t go.” A single tear trickled down Dean’s cheek. “Stay here, with me. We can be happy.”

“It would never work,” Castiel’s eyes dropped to the floor as he opened the door and fled the scene. The carriage was sitting there, waiting for him, as he pulled open the door and sat down. The driver stared at him for a moment and Castiel shook his head. “Come on. We need to go home.” The driver’s bulging eyes, which only seemed to grow even more as time passed, dropped to his feet. Castiel’s eyes followed and he gasped in shock.

Chuck was going to be rather angry with him. He was only wearing one shoe.


	6. Chapter 6: It's Him, I Know It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My clothes?” Castiel pushed the floorboard back to its rightful place and opened his door. “Why on Earth would you need my clothes?”
> 
> “I’m going to marry the prince."

Returning home broke Castiel’s heart. He didn’t know what he was thinking by going to the ball. Perhaps he thought that one night where he got to pretend to be a prince (or whatever Dean thought, since princes generally didn’t dance with brooms) would be a magical memory that he could keep for himself. Instead, it was just plain depressing. 

Castiel had hidden the remaining glass slipper and the daffodil under a loose floorboard in the attic and he spent most of his free time staring longingly at them. Of course, he didn’t seem to have any sort of free time. His entire stepfamily believed that they won Dean’s heart and, with a new sense of entitlement, had Castiel running all around town with a giant list of errands. He was relishing in one of his rare free moments when a loud rapping on the attic door interrupted his thoughts.

“Castiel!” Meg shrieked. She seemed to be much more convinced of Dean’s undying love for her than Ruby was, who had mumbled something about having “back up”. “I need your clothes.”

“My clothes?” Castiel pushed the floorboard back to its rightful place and opened his door. “Why on Earth would you need my clothes?”

“I’m going to marry the prince,” Meg beamed and stepped into the room before basically tearing about Castiel’s closet. Castiel felt his face go pale; did Meg know something that he didn’t? She had gotten close enough to him at the ball to steal Dean away.

“Why do you need my clothes?” Castiel asked quickly, making sure to push the floorboard even further into place with his foot.

“Wow, you really are stupid,” Meg laughed before taking one of his old shirts, pants, and a hat. “The prince is searching the kingdom for some guy that he fell in love with at the ball.”

“There was a guy at the ball?” Castiel asked innocently as he picked up a broom and began sweeping idly.

“Yes,” Meg answered. “He was so pathetic. He kept blushing like a little schoolgirl. I thought the prince was taking pity on him at first.”

“So you think that you can trick the prince into thinking that you’re this guy,” Castiel stated.

“All he has to go on is this glass slipper that he found on the ground,” Meg shrugged as she tied her hair into a knot. “It’s ridiculous. What kind of idiot wears glass on his feet?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Castiel blushed at the accusation. Meg rolled her eyes and stepped out of the attic with the bundle of clothes. Castiel waited until her footsteps ceased before pulling back the floorboard with a wide grin. Perhaps Chuck was at work again and was giving him one last big chance.

“CASTIEL!”

Well, at least he wouldn’t have to deal with that screeching for much longer. He hopped to his feet, surprised at his own enthusiasm, and left the attic.

-

A trumpet sounded outside a few hours later and Castiel quickly sat up at the sound. Unfortunately, he had been cleaning the chimney and he winced sharply as his head pounded in protest.

“Out of my way!” Meg exclaimed to no one in particular as she darted towards the door. She cleared her throat quite dramatically before pulling the door open.

“May we speak to the master of the house?” Castiel recognized Bobby’s voice and his heart raced. He listened as two pairs of feet stepped in and heels clacked against the wooden floor.

“That would be me,” Naomi drawled. Castiel turned and watched as she extended her hand towards Bobby. Bobby stared at it for a moment before plastering a smile on his face and kissing her hand begrudgingly. He couldn’t believe his luck. If he wasn’t covered in soot, he would’ve pushed everyone out of the way and kissed Dean. He wasn’t sure if it was a bad thing that he couldn’t see Dean from where he was crouched down. “Would you like some refreshments?”

“Actually,” Castiel’s heart ached when he heard Dean’s voice. “We’re not going to be long here. Would your son like to sit down?”

“I don’t have a-“ Naomi’s eyes slowly fell down to Meg and her eyes widened in understanding. “Yes. I believe he would. I have some business to attend to.” Castiel watched as Naomi’s feet stepped past the chimney and went upstairs. In the momentary distraction, Castiel had almost forgotten to pay attention to the events unfolding downstairs.

“They were a rather tight fit on the ball night as well,” Meg explained, her voice dropped an octave from her normal level.

“This isn’t a ‘tight fit’,” Dean tried to explain. “Your foot won’t go into the shoe.”

“That’s because I used baby powder!” Meg exclaimed.

“What’s going on here?” Ruby entered the scene and raised an eyebrow at Meg. “What the hell are you doing, Meg?”

“My name isn’t Meg,” Meg’s voice was now lowered to a ridiculous level. “My name is Mark.”

“Yeah, right,” Ruby mumbled as she tore off the hat. “Oops!”

“Ru-BY!” Meg screeched before grabbing at her hair. Dean and Bobby exchanged a long look as the two girls seemed to tackle each other.

“You two don’t happen to have a brother, do you?” Bobby asked slowly. Castiel widened his eyes. He had wasted his chance for happiness sitting in the chimney. He had to get back upstairs. He quickly crawled out of the chimney and rushed upstairs before freezing at the door.

Naomi was standing in the attic, staring at Castiel’s glass slipper. The daffodil’s crushed petals were scattered on the floor.

“No,” Castiel whispered before stepping towards Naomi. Naomi looked up at him, her gaze piercing into him like a set of daggers.

“We will convince the prince that she had been disguised as a boy so she stood out in the masses of people,” Naomi’s voice was dangerously calm. “Well, we meaning Ruby and me. You will stay up here with the door locked. Do you understand, boy?”

“He would never believe you,” Castiel stepped closer.

“He would have to, if I showed him the shoe,” Naomi almost snarled.

“How dare you take this from me!” Castiel snapped, grabbing at the shoe. Naomi pulled back and they wrestled the shoe back and forth fro each other. “Dean fell in love with me! Not Ruby, not Meg, not any other of the pretty girls in the kingdom! Me!”

“The prince has no idea how disgusting you really are!” Naomi screeched. “He doesn’t know that you’re just a servant boy. A bastard child. He never would’ve looked twice at you if he had known this. Deep in your heart, Castiel, you understand this. Your darling dad understood this quite well. I should’ve killed you as well!”

“What do you mean as well?” Castiel asked, blinking slowly.

“Your father was a rich man,” Naomi laughed, taking advantage of his momentarily surprise so she could yank the shoe out of his hands. “He was also a trusting man. Slipping him the arsenic was a piece of cake, quite literally.”

“A-arsenic?” Castiel’s eyes flooded with tears as the realization hit him. He didn’t care at the moment if he was ridiculed. Naomi smiled faintly and nodded her head. Suddenly, it felt like something had snapped inside of Castiel’s head. He could hardly hear his voice as he screamed at her, calling her an evil woman and reminding her that her plan would never work.

“SILENCE!” Naomi shrieked. Castiel felt his heart rate quicken as she stepped closer to him. Normally, she wasn’t one to show any sort of emotion, but now her face was twisted in anger. “How DARE you take that tone with me! After everything I’ve done for you? I gave you clothes and shelter, kept you off the streets. I cannot believe how foolish I was. That’s where you belong, you animal!”

The shoe hit the wall with a resounding crash and Castiel watched as it shattered, along with his hopes and dreams. Castiel watched as the shards of glass fell to the floor. It took all the willpower in the world not to take some life lessons from the shoe and fall apart.

“What about your plan?” Castiel asked in a whisper.

“Maybe Ruby won’t be Dean’s Prince Charming,” Naomi mused as she struck a match and set fire to the daffodil. “But, then again, neither will you. Clean this up.” Castiel nodded before rushing past her to get the broom, tears streaming down his face. He rushed down the stairs before freezing in his tracks.

“That’s a very, uh, flattering shade of blush, madam, but the Royal Prince and I must be departing.” Castiel could see the pair of them backing towards the door. Why did Dean have to look so unfairly fetching? At least the soot that covered Castiel’s face matched the dashing black suit that Dean was wearing. Castiel cleared his throat before thinking and Dean’s gaze rose to meet his.

“Bobby,” Dean touched the older man’s arm gently before stepping past him. “Bobby, it’s him.”

“What are you rambling on about, boy?” Bobby asked, eyeing Castiel with distaste, causing his entire face to go red. “This is a servant boy. Your mystery man was rich, it’s not possible.”

“I know it’s him,” Dean sent an irritated glare back in Bobby’s direction before taking Castiel’s hands. “You think I’d be able to recognize the love of my life, right?”

“Huh?” Castiel squeaked. He was expecting an angrier reaction, since he did lie to the man about his identity.

“Do you want to put the shoe on him?” Bobby sounded defeated now, which pulled a very unroyal eye roll out of Dean. Castiel cracked a small smile and Dean sent him a blinding grin back.

“It’s not needed,” Dean answered. “I know.”

“I wish we had known this when we left,” Bobby grumbled good naturedly. “Carrying that shoe around was a real pain in the-“

“I’m sorry,” Dean couldn’t control his fit of laughter and soon Castiel was joining him as Meg and Ruby stared at the pair of them in horror. “I figured that a shoe fitting would bring you to me. Guess I don’t know you as well as I thought I did.”

“Considering we met twice, I would hope not,” Castiel teased. Dean pulled him into a chaste kiss before taking his hand gently.

“So, do you think I deserve to know your name yet?” Dean led him down so they were standing next to Bobby.

“His name is Castiel,” Meg said quickly. “He’s our step brother.”

“But we don’t see him that way,” Ruby added. “We see him as family. And family sticks together, no matter what happens. Right, brother?”

“I don’t know about you two, but my brother doesn’t clean my chimneys,” Dean’s voice was sharper now. Meg and Ruby exchanged a long look before glancing down at the ground.

“That was never what we wanted,” Ruby hissed before resting a hand on Castiel’s shoulder. “That was our mother’s doing. She saw Castiel as a reminder of her husband’s past relationship. Made her bitter.”

“We’ve always loved him,” Meg pulled Castiel into a bone crushing hug.

“Well.” Meg and Ruby broke away, and Castiel had never been happier to hear Naomi’s voice. “I guess it’s settled then. Castiel will be paying me back for everything that I have done for him. I think I would like a new house.”

“A new house?” Castiel repeated as Dean started to pull him towards the door.

“Yes,” Naomi followed the three of them outside with Meg and Ruby on her heel. “And my horse is getting quite old, so she will need to be replaced soon. Meg and Ruby will need-“

Naomi kept her running list of demands going but Castiel didn’t hear anything else that she had to say, since Dean had pulled him into a much more demanding kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the last chapter of this story. I may write an epilogue someday, but I don't know. It's been a ride.


End file.
